Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra Movie Review – Kalyani Priyadarshan Shines Bright in This Bold New Fantasy Universe

Every once in a while, a film comes along that feels less like just another Friday release and more like the start of something special. Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra is exactly that. Backed by Dulquer Salmaan and his banner Wayfarer Productions, this fantasy thriller doesn’t just aim big; it delivers big. From the very first frame, you can sense the ambition: to create a homegrown cinematic universe that blends myth, culture, and modern storytelling in a way Indian cinema hasn’t fully attempted before. And honestly? It works.

Unlike so many “superhero” films that try to mimic Hollywood’s formula, Lokah feels rooted in our soil. It draws on familiar cultural stories we’ve all heard in whispers growing up and places them against the backdrop of a bustling modern city. The result is a film that feels fresh, ambitious, and unmistakably Indian, while still speaking the global language of cinema.

The Story That Unfolds in Bengaluru (Spoiler Alert)

You don’t ease into Lokah; you’re thrown headfirst into it. The film opens in pitch-black chaos: a lone girl (who we later learn is Chandra, played by Kalyani Priyadarshan) is on the run. The night is alive with gunshots cracking through the air, fires blazing in the shadows, and danger at every corner. She’s not just escaping someone; she’s escaping something much bigger. From the very first frame, you know this isn’t going to be an ordinary story, but something that is waiting to resurface.

Chandra (Kalyani Priyadarshan), the mysterious young woman, then arrives in Bangalore quietly and is asked to avoid any problems. So she ends up taking up work at a night café. She’s not trying to stand out; if anything, she’s hiding. There’s a restraint in the way she carries herself, as if she knows she’s different but desperately wants to fit in. Unlike the usual flashy superheroes, Chandra comes across as vulnerable, mysterious, and quietly powerful all at once.

Her life takes a turn when Sunny (Naslen) stumbles into her orbit. Sunny could have easily been reduced to comic relief, but here he’s written with real heart. His curiosity, his warmth, and his refusal to treat Chandra differently make him her anchor to normalcy. Their chemistry feels genuine, with playful banter and unspoken care adding an emotional layer to the otherwise fantastical story. Alongside him is Venu (Chandu Salimkumar), Sunny’s close friend, who grounds their dynamic with both humor and common sense.

But Bengaluru has a darker side too. An organ trafficking ring runs beneath its glossy exterior, preying on the helpless. Inspector Nachiyappa Gowda (Sandy), a corrupt cop, sits at the heart of this rot, his menace lying not just in violence but in the chilling casualness of his power. He embodies the idea that true villains don’t always come cloaked in mystery; they often wear badges.

Sooner or later, these two worlds, the myth-soaked and the crime-ridden, were bound to collide. When violence hits the café, Chandra can no longer remain invisible. Her powers erupt in a moment of both revelation and reckoning. Suddenly, what seemed like fragments of folklore become terrifyingly real. The film builds this beautifully, never rushing, so that by the time the interval block arrives with a mythic action sequence staged against neon-lit Bengaluru, you feel both awe and conviction. It’s not just spectacle for the sake of it; it’s storytelling at its most goosebump-inducing.

The film’s Bengaluru connection is not a random pick. Like the city it’s set in, the people of Lokah are polyglots of various cultures: we have a Malayali superhero, a Kannadiga crime ring, and a Tamil cop, whose paths often cross. This multicultural mix makes the world of Lokah feel lived-in, textured, and inherently believable.

Performances That Bring Lokah to Life

Kalyani Priyadarshan shines as Chandra. It’s not an easy role to balance with mystery, fragility, and raw strength, but she does it with incredible poise. Her performance never goes melodramatic; she uses silence, stillness, and those tiny expressions as her weapons. You can see the storm brewing under her calm surface, which makes her eventual unleashing of power all the more striking.

Naslen, as Sunny, is the heart of the film. His easy humor, awkward charm, and genuine curiosity prevent the film from slipping into self-seriousness. He offers moments of relief while keeping the gravity of the story intact. What makes his role click is how essential he feels he is, not just the sidekick; he’s the one tying Chandra’s fantastical journey back to something deeply human.  And the fact that he pulls this off in a film led by Kalyani Priyadarshan makes his performance even more commendable; he holds his own, shining in moments that could have easily been overshadowed.

Chandu Salimkumar adds warmth as Venu, his grounded personality making the friendship dynamic believable. His presence is proof that even in a story of powers and crime, it’s the ordinary voices that give it soul.

And then there’s Sandy as Inspector Nachiyappa Gowda. He’s terrifying precisely because he doesn’t overplay it. His brand of corruption is the kind that feels disturbingly real, smiling in one scene, brutal in the next. It’s one of the film’s most memorable antagonists, and it works because it doesn’t rely on caricature.

Beyond them, the film teases a set of supporting characters whose true roles aren’t fully revealed in this chapter. They appear briefly, sometimes in fragments, hinting at a larger mythology that’s yet to come. These characters are the kind you can’t describe without giving away too much, but their presence ensures that Lokah isn’t just about Chandra; it’s about a much bigger universe waiting to unfold on the big screen.

Vision and Sound: How the Film Feels

Director Arun Dominic deserves huge credit for shaping Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra into more than just a genre experiment. Along with Shanthi Balakrishnan, he co-writes a screenplay that builds atmosphere, sets up relationships, and lets the myth trickle into the narrative slowly. Dominic also resists the temptation to make Chandra a glossy, invincible figure. Instead, he lets her be fragile, conflicted, and unsure, which makes her far more relatable than the typical superhero mold.

The cinematography deserves a mention too. Bengaluru’s neon haze, smoky alleys, and firelit chaos are captured with a striking texture that complements the film’s dark, mythic tone. And then there’s Jakes Bejoy, whose music is nothing short of the film’s soul. His haunting undertones and pulsating rhythms perfectly balance the mythic with the modern, amplifying tension without overwhelming the story. In fact, Bejoy’s score becomes almost a character in itself, guiding us through Chandra’s journey from mystery to revelation.

Final Verdict

Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra is more than just a film; it feels like the planting of a flag. Dulquer Salmaan’s Wayfarer Productions has backed a project that dares to step outside the usual comfort zones of Malayalam cinema, delivering a film that’s ambitious in scale yet intimate in emotion. It blends myth with modernity, fantasy with crime, and spectacle with sincerity, making it one of the most exciting openers we’ve seen in Indian cinema. And that’s exactly what makes Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra so striking, it refuses to play safe, daring to go bold even when it risks going overboard.

The film gives you goosebumps, but more than that, it leaves you restless with curiosity. Because this isn’t just Chandra’s story, it’s a door to something bigger, and like many others, I’m eagerly waiting for the next chapter to unfold in this world.

Also, if you’re into grounded film thoughts, underrated thriller picks, or just plain honest recommendations, I’m over on Instagram: @bingewatch_perspective. That’s where I post quick recaps, hot takes, and those offbeat gems you might’ve missed. 

P.S.-  If you’re like me, who loves to explore more, you might also want to check out my take on Metro In Dino, which carries a very different but equally layered vibe.

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